Latest news with #TimKaine
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Donald Trump govt faces ire over Job Corps centres' closure: Why 'lifeline for young people in need' is facing axe
The US government's decision to shut down multiple Job Corps centres across the country has triggered strong backlash from ordinary citizens and political figures, who argue the move will strip young Americans of essential career-building opportunities. Citing financial shortfalls and low graduation rates, the US Department of Labor (DOL) plans to close the operations at Job Corps centres nationwide by June 2025. The announcement faced a lot of criticism from not just the stranded students and their families but also US political figures. The US Congress submitted a letter to the Department of Labor, urging them to reverse the closure of the Job Corps immediately, as these programmes are economic engines that support hundreds of good-paying local jobs, keeping the country's communities thriving. US Senator Tim Kaine strongly opposed the decision on X (formerly Twitter), calling these programmes 'The lifeline of young people in need.' A number of X users called the move "disappointing' as Job Corps was a viable option for students from low-income families to learn the necessary skills required for employment in high-trade areas such as nursing and mechanical tech. The Department of Labor assured the affected people of having an orderly transition for students, staff, and local communities by collaborating with state and local partners to assist current students in advancing their training and connecting them with education and employment opportunities. However, the letter submitted to the department by US Congress highlights that the staff at the Job Corps have not received any guidance so far on supporting students and other relevant people to transition to continue their training. According to DOL Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the Job Corps was created to provide education, training and community to young adults but the government's fiscal analysis and a startling number of serious incidents revealed that the programme is no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve. The Job Corps programme was operating at a $140 million deficit, requiring the Biden administration to implement a pause in centres' operations to complete the programme year. The deficit is projected to reach $213 million in the year 2025, said a news release. Job Corps is a federally funded residential career training programme that has been around for more than 50 years. The programme's objective is to help low-income young people in the age group of 16 to 24 years finish high school and get jobs. Job Corps essentially provides room, board and skills training for up to three years, alongside other services, such as child care and transportation. The programme serves nearly 60,000 students each year, according to the federal data.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Remembrance ceremony marks 6 years since 5/31 mass shooting in Virgina Beach
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A remembrance ceremony was held Saturday behind Virginia Beach City Hall to remember those who lost their lives in the mass shooting at Virginia Beach's Municipal Center Complex and to uplift the survivors. The ceremony recognized the 12 people killed and 4 injured in the mass shooting that took place on May 31, 2019, a day described as the darkest day in Virginia Beach history. 'Our foundation is still rocked by what happened,' said Virginia Beach mayor Bobby Dyer. 'We've been pretty proactive about making sure that we're doing the right thing, you know, to help out those, you know, who need it.' In a statement on Facebook, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine stated: 'Today, we honor and remember the 12 lives tragically lost six years ago in the horrific shooting in Virginia Beach. We must end gun violence by preserving and strengthening our gun safety laws to prevent future tragedies and protect our communities.' Family members of victims, survivors and other attendees all wore blue as a sign of unity. 'It's very important to make sure that we remember it and make sure we not just be here in sadness, but also be here, enjoy and like bring comfort to the ones who need it and always remember and not forget,' said Morgan Nixon, daughter of victim Katherine Nixon. A moment of silence took place at 4:06 p.m.., the exact time the 911 call was received on this day 6 years ago. 'This is a commitment to honor the memories of so many important people in Virginia Beach, who paid the ultimate sacrifice and are still have the grieving families we can never forget. We will never forget,' said Mayor Dyer. A memorial to honor the victims and survivors is currently under construction. 'We're investing $14 million in that because we want this to be a structure that when people come, they will feel the warmth, they will feel the empathy. And once again, we will honor the memories we can never forget,' said Mayor Dyer. The memorial is set to be completed in May 2026. Mayor Dyer says these ceremonies will continue each year to honor those affected by this tragedy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Why prioritising Afrikaner farmers?': Marco Rubio, Tim Kaine get into heated argument over refugees
US: In a heated Senate exchange, Senator Tim Kaine challenged Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the U.S. prioritising Afrikaner farmers from South Africa for refugee status. Rubio defended the move by saying they had passed legal checks and were victims of race-based land seizures. Kaine countered, citing South Africa's current government of national unity, which includes Afrikaner-led parties, arguing there's no systemic persecution. He criticised the U.S. for never having similar special refugee programs for Black South Africans during apartheid, calling the current policy biased and unprecedented. Show more Show less
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
U.S. Dept. of Education says special education funds untouched in reduction process
The Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building in Washington, D.C., pictured on Nov. 25, 2024. (Photo by Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom) Before a federal judge temporarily halted the dissolution of the agency Thursday, the U.S. Department of Education ensured 'uninterrupted services' to children and youth with disabilities, in response to probing questions by U.S. Senators from Virginia and other states about the future of special education. The questions, spearheaded by Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware in a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, came after President Donald Trump and his administration launched efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. A key point of concern for the lawmakers was the one-month freeze on investigations into discrimination complaints that left a backlog of 12,000 complaints, 'half of which involve students with disabilities,' Democratic U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia and 20 of their colleagues wrote. The agency's plans are of particular significance for Virginia, where a federal investigation found that the Virginia Department of Education failed to meet federal requirements to help resolve disputes involving students with disabilities beginning in 2019. In December 2024, the investigation ended after the Office of Special Education Programs wrote in a letter that all of its findings and required actions for the agency were closed. Virginia was responsible for nearly 186,000 students with disabilities this past school year, an increase of almost 5,000 students from the 2023-24 academic period. As federal law requires, Virginia must provide all students with disabilities a 'free and appropriate public education' through personalized plans under the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Facing special ed teacher shortage, Va. education board votes to expand educator pipeline Sarah Ursprung, acting assistant secretary for legislation and congressional affairs for the federal department, wrote to lawmakers in April that no formula funding to states, including Title I and IDEA, was cut, and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) continues its enforcement work with a reduced workforce and the same commitment to vigorous vindication of students' civil rights. 'The department remains committed to ensuring uninterrupted services to meet the needs and develop the potential of children and youth with disabilities pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA),' Ursprung wrote in a letter provided to the Mercury. The senators' letter also highlighted their reservations about limited staff at the agency. U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine from Virginia signed Rochester's letter in April that said the cuts would have 'immense harm' to all students. 'While we appreciate receiving a response from the Department of Education, we still have serious concerns about how the department can ensure services for students with disabilities aren't interrupted when Secretary McMahon has already reduced staff by nearly 50% and said she intends to close the department,' the senators wrote. Ursprung said that no employees in the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Rehabilitation Services Administration or the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) were subject to the staff cuts on March 11. Employees involved in policy and administrative functions, whose duties the agency said can be reassigned or eliminated, were the ones subject to firing. NCSER-supported research continues with obligated funds, according to Ursprung. The research center helps experts understand more about children who have or may have disabilities by studying them from infancy through college. The trajectory of the federal education department, and the fallout in Virginia, remains uncertain, after the Massachusetts federal judge paused its dismantling and ordered the Trump administration to reinstate over 1,300 employees. The department is expected to appeal the decision. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
In Ottawa, U.S. senators push trade, Canadian tourism to their states
OTTAWA — Five United States senators were in Ottawa Friday to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney and underscore the long-standing relationship between the two countries. At a press conference at the U.S. embassy, Republican Kevin Cramer dismissed the current tensions between Canada and the U.S. as a temporary setback. "There's no way in my view that any temporary bump in the road can become a permanent bump in the road, and I think that was really clear today," Cramer told reporters. The delegation also included Democrats Jeanne Shaheen, Tim Kaine, Amy Klobuchar and Peter Welch. They said they want Canadians to continue to visit the United States ahead of the summer season and stressed how important trade with Canada is for the states they represent. Klobuchar said the goal was to get the U.S.-Canada relationship "back on track" ahead of summer. "I personally want Canadians to visit Minnesota as well as the rest of the beautiful states in our country," she said. Kaine, who represents Virginia, said Canada is his state's number one trading partner, and many Canadians go to Virginia Beach on vacation. "It's a very, very important relationship for us in Virginia," he said. The senators were also scheduled to meet with the ministers of foreign affairs, national defence and industry, as well as the Business Council of Canada. The visit comes at a fractious time in Canada-U.S. relations, with the two countries embroiled in a trade war triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has also threatened to make Canada the 51st state. The conflict has led to a wave of patriotism among Canadians, with many opting out of travel to the U.S. Carney was elected on a platform of promising to stand up to Trump, and to diversify Canada's trade relations away from the United States. Shaheen said the senators had a "good discussion talking about tariffs, talking about ways in which we are cooperating militarily and in the national security space, talking about the importance of the economic relationship that we have." She said they hope there will be continued "very positive discussions for ensuring that some of the cracks that have appeared in the relationship in recent months are healed and we move forward together." Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said in an interview with The Canadian Press that her meeting with the U.S. senators was "constructive." She said the conversation was about "the value of the economic partnership between Canada and the U.S." and the impacts of tariffs on the countries' economies. "I think we can have allies in the U.S. to find ways to lift these tariffs and that's definitely part of the conversation," Joly said, adding that her priority was to highlight the need to support frontline workers amid the trade war. She noted most of the senators who visited Ottawa were from border states. "In that sense, what Canadians have been doing across the country for the last months has been having an impact in the U.S. and so that's why it was important for us to be able to talk." -With files from Catherine Morrison This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025. Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press
